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2007-09-05 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by Glenmore 2007-09-05 10:45|| || Front Page|| [11129 views ] Top

#1 If we were going to hit Qom or Bushehr, it would not be with a B-52. Although a wonderful airplane, it is not stealthy, and would easily be spotted before it arrived. With a B-2, the first indication the Iranians would have that something was nearby was when the bombs went off.

Posted by Rambler">Rambler 2007-09-05 11:11|| 2007-09-05 11:11|| Front Page Top

#2 Any complaints about precious bodily fluids heard from the CO up at Minot recently?

Posted by tu3031 2007-09-05 11:22|| 2007-09-05 11:22|| Front Page Top

#3 The B-52 was loaded with Advanced Cruise Missiles, part of a Defense Department effort to decommission 400 of the ACMs.

Nuttin' says decommissioning like dropping them over Qom or Bushehr to me.

An investigation headed by Maj. Gen. Douglas Raaberg

Name's too close to rantburg. Is Fred moonlighting again?

Posted by BA 2007-09-05 11:32|| 2007-09-05 11:32|| Front Page Top

#4 Interesting that we a trashing 400 deliverable nukes while countries like NK & Iran are struggling to build their first lab version. You'd think that little fact ought to make them pucker a little as they try to royally p**s us off.

It's always been about will, not about resources. You can have the biggest scariest monster on the block, but if everyone knows you won't release it, it has no 'deterrent' value and gives a false sense of security and power. Meanwhile the out of control neighbor, with a serious case of arrested adolescent development swinging a baseball bat while the 'authorities' keep passing the buck on getting him/her under control, has a heck of a lot more influence on the hood and how everyone else conducts their daily business.

Posted by Proocpius2k 2007-09-05 11:36|| 2007-09-05 11:36|| Front Page Top

#5 according to three officers who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the incident.

If they're not authorized to discuss it, why are they? Since they've broken the law by doing so, reveal their names, or admit they don't exist.

Anonymity delenda est!

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2007-09-05 11:40|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2007-09-05 11:40|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't believe anything coming from "Unnamed sources" anymore from the MSM. Too much blatant lies are passes off as news that way.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-09-05 12:00|| 2007-09-05 12:00|| Front Page Top

#7 They're built to fly with Nukes aboard, big shit, not worth reporting.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-09-05 12:06|| 2007-09-05 12:06|| Front Page Top

#8 Even if we aren't the adolescent with the baseball bat, can't we take advantage of this exercise to cause the adolescent bullies to pause and wonder whether, just maybe, there ARE some adolescents loose in our house? Adolescents with MUCH bigger baseball bats?

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-09-05 12:44|| 2007-09-05 12:44|| Front Page Top

#9 Is that more nukes than a Bear can carry?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-09-05 13:07|| 2007-09-05 13:07|| Front Page Top

#10 With all Putin has been up to with new flights and such if I were running the Airforce I'd release a few harmless mistakes to the media. Let Putin realize we're armed, and also scare him with the reminder that when playing with big guns mistakes happen.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-09-05 13:08|| 2007-09-05 13:08|| Front Page Top

#11 I told you not to leave those things lying around! If you aren't careful you'll poke your eye out!

/Mom

Posted by Grumenk Philalzabod0723 2007-09-05 13:21|| 2007-09-05 13:21|| Front Page Top

#12 I like the idea of this being a 'message' to somebody. Perhaps there was to be a candygram for somebody, but it got scrubbed, as postulated earlier. And altho' not stealthy, there isn't much that could reach a high flying BUFF, and that assumes there would be no fighter or ECM assets on its wing at run in to target time.
methinks there is more to this story that meets the eye......

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-09-05 13:57|| 2007-09-05 13:57|| Front Page Top

#13 Guys, the problem is not that the nukes were onboard the BUFF, it is that no one knew it until the missiles were downloaded at Barksdale. This is the end of career for the wing commander, the squadron commander, the five officers on the crew (the EW might skate, but I think he is probably toast as well), the maintenance squadron commander, and every yo-yo who got anywhere near this. The cardinal rule of Strategic Command is that you know where your nukes are at ALL times. This degree of carelessness is absolutely totally unforgivable. If the officers and men at Minot charged with the care of nuclear weapons were so incompetent that they did not know that five of their warheads were gone until the phone rang, what is to keep someone from driving one out the back gate. They committed the worst sin imaginable in the Air Force, they were UNPROFESSIONAL.

Posted by RWV 2007-09-05 15:27|| 2007-09-05 15:27|| Front Page Top

#14 RWV is absolutely correct. BUFFs carrying nukes over the continental USA is about as amazing as an anti-Bush editorial in the NYTs. What do you think they were carrying when we were 24/7/365 running the circle route during the cold war. Are the media so naive as to think we have given up our strategic air capability and just have the crews sitting in alert shacks waiting for a telegram from the POTUS? Geez I think these guys believe Slim Pickens is the pilot.

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2007-09-05 15:53|| 2007-09-05 15:53|| Front Page Top

#15 Jack for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcW_Ygs6hm0

Posted by Beavis 2007-09-05 16:00|| 2007-09-05 16:00|| Front Page Top

#16 Heads are going to roll! I once witnessed a crew member violate the two man control rule while preflighting a B61 on an F-4. He was immediately decertified and went through hell getting recertified. It was nearly a year before he could participate in nuclear exercises and briefings and his permanent record still had the decertification.....Oh, by the way, the B61 in question was a 'dummy' inert test unit used for training purposes. These guys are toast.

Posted by Total War 2007-09-05 16:02|| 2007-09-05 16:02|| Front Page Top

#17 B-52 Mistakenly Flies With Nukes Aboard

Man, I hate it when that happens!

The risk of the warheads falling into the hands of rogue nations or terrorists was minimal since the weapons never left the United States

I doubt that terrorists had anything to do with this or could have taken advantage of it. But this sentence is kind of odd since the terrorists would love nothing more than to both have a nuke and to get it inside the US somehow. If they were to have been able to know about this beforehand, it would have been a scenario made in heaven for them.

Posted by gorb 2007-09-05 16:04|| 2007-09-05 16:04|| Front Page Top

#18 Yes, Gorb, but if the terrorists knew about it, and hijacked the B-52, and knew how to launch the weapons, and target them, think of the devestation they could've caused!

Posted by Dan Rather 2007-09-05 18:37|| 2007-09-05 18:37|| Front Page Top

#19 That aroma you smell is several careers turned to toast.

Badly burnt toast.

That said, remember that the Army Times has been owned for a while by a group that isn't all that supportive of the military.

Posted by lotp 2007-09-05 20:04|| 2007-09-05 20:04|| Front Page Top

#20 (Gannett, owners of USA Today among others ....)

Posted by lotp 2007-09-05 20:05|| 2007-09-05 20:05|| Front Page Top

#21 Is it just me, or why does it seem like in every major US war since the 1950's a US heavy bomber, usu a B52, finds itself involved in a potentially dangerous nuke accident invol on-board nuke weapons??? ANYHOO, RIAN > Russia to begin [armed?]routine remote-area/peripheral heavy bomber patrols on September 6th.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-09-05 22:00|| 2007-09-05 22:00|| Front Page Top

#22 RWV nails it. Losing track of nuclear devices make careers go kaput.

B-52 Mistakenly Flies With Nukes Aboard

I'm almost ready for headlines where the word "mistakenly", instead reads "intentionally".

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-09-05 22:24|| 2007-09-05 22:24|| Front Page Top

#23 We've all been duped, that operation was no accident...they wanted those missiles in Louisiana to load an awaiting submarine, for the upcoming Iranian showdown! Mark my words, they won't confirm that the birds will be back in Minot just as fast as they got to Barksdale!

Posted by smn 2007-09-05 23:57|| 2007-09-05 23:57|| Front Page Top

23:58 trailing wife
23:57 smn
23:52 Grinesh Bourbon6793
23:49 M. Murcek
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23:48 M. Murcek
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23:41 Pappy
23:38 Zenster
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23:27 Zenster
22:58 Steven
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22:26 Frank G
22:24 Zenster
22:24 JosephMendiola
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